


Bewitched by a Deadman's Heart

by ClareGuilty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24854314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClareGuilty/pseuds/ClareGuilty
Summary: Captain Gabriel Reyes of the Blackwatch, the Reaper of the Seas, cursed by Neptune. He captures you, a sea nymph, and demands that you call upon the gods to break his curse. As you remain captive on his ship, you see the captain for who he truly is.Requested from myTumblr
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 111





	Bewitched by a Deadman's Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request fic that got a little out of hand LOL i just _really_ like pirates

You never took your eyes off the captain as he stalked back and forth through the hold. Sweeping black and crimson coat, broad hat. He had worn a white bone mask when he entered; now you could see his face. 

He wasn’t human. Not fully. Monstrous, a beast made more of smoke than bone. You had seen men like him before, cursed by Neptune. They were all the same, unrepentant bastards. You knew exactly what he wanted.

Chains chafed and scratched at your wrists and ankles, and the gag was making your jaw ache terribly. Being held prisoner was unsurprisingly dreadful. A lantern swayed violently, casting strange living shadows through your cell.

_ Just get on with it _ . You rolled your eyes. Mortals were always so predictable. This whole fiasco was more of an annoyance than anything.

The captain disappeared, vanished between one step and the next. You jumped as you felt a presence behind you. He had rematerialized within the bars of your cell.

A large rough hand grabbed your jaw, forcing your head back until you met dark eyes. 

“I hate for things to be this way,” he said, voice cold. You didn’t have it in you to believe him. How many cruel men had sailed the seas, capturing and hunting your brothers and sisters? You scoffed behind the gag.

The captain’s grip tightened and then released all at once. You slumped to the floor at his feet, glaring up at him with as much contempt as you could manage. His expression softened minutely. “You’re innocent. It was not you who cursed me with this form.”

_ Then let me go, _ you thought.

“I need you to summon Neptune. I need him to reverse what he has done.”

You did not lessen the force of your glare. The captain held your gaze: a stalemate.

But mortals lack patience, and he quickly caved. A heavy boot collided with your side, and you cried out behind the gag. Scrambling as far as your chains would allow, you never looked away.

The captain growled and disappeared once more. He emerged from the shadows, storming out of the hold and slamming the door behind him.

You slumped in your binds. Captain Gabriel Reyes, the Reaper of the Seas. The ship you were currently imprisoned on could be none other than the Blackwatch.

If anyone were to capture you, then at least it was the most fearsome pirate alive. Your pride couldn’t have handled if you had been stolen by some nobody with hardly a feat to his name.

For all the rumors that surrounded Captain Reyes and the Blackwatch, you had not known about Neptune’s curse. What had he done to earn such a fate? You wondered if he had been cursed before he turned to piracy, or if he had committed a crime worse than any other during his reign of terror.

He wanted the curse lifted. He wanted Neptune himself to undo his punishment. How precocious. How would your situation change if Captain Reyes knew you were capable of granting him his wish? It wasn’t difficult magic. You had taken on far greater feats back in the time of heroes. It had been centuries since you had really been able to test yourself.

Not that you were very inclined to help out the bastard that captured you, trussed you up, tossed you in a cell, and kicked you. Being a Nereid didn’t mean that you were incapable of bruising.

You sulked a few hours in the dim cell. The Reaper would be back. You would be able to survive torture if it came to that, but you certainly hoped this beast knew better. You looked forward to being released from your chains, then you could exact vengeance for your mistreatment.

The door to the hold creaked open and the captain stepped inside. He was still in his crimson coat, cutlass at his hip, yet he carried a bowl of food and a bottle.

Something emerged from the shadows behind you, pulling the gag from your lips. It was a neat trick.

Reyes stopped outside the door to your cell. “I-” He genuinely looked unsure. “I wasn’t sure if you needed to eat. I’ve brought you food.”

You scoffed, eyeing the bowl with disdain. “I enjoy divine offerings and sweet wine.” Divine offerings were a thing lost to time, but stale bread and boiled vegetables held no appeal for you.

The captain set the plate down and vanished. He rematerialized within the cell, leaned back against the bars, arms crossed.

You stared up at him, expectantly.

He was quiet for a long while. You waited. At last, he sighed and spoke. “I’m sorry for stealing you away.”

“Then let me go.” If he truly was sorry, he would have freed you.

“I can’t do that.” His voice was sharp. “You’re my only hope of lifting this damned curse.”

You slumped in your bonds, but your curiosity had gotten the better of you. “What did you even do to deserve the wrath of Neptune?” 

The captain’s frown deepened. “What haven’t I done? I staged a mutiny against my commander in the navy, turned against crown and company, attacked and pillaged any ship that crossed my path. I’ve slain. I’ve slaughtered. This curse has made me the perfect killer.”

You didn’t have it in you to be impressed. “Many men have done worse than you and never ended up cursed by the god of the sea.” 

The captain sighed. "It was after a victory against Commander Morrison-"

"The one you mutinied?" You asked.

“Yes, the one I mutinied. He's my greatest rival, always armed with the best of the king's dogs. We had won a battle, and gained quite a bit from it. I was boastful -- drunk -- and talking to my crew.

"'Just you wait,' I said. 'We'll take down every ship on these seas and sail right to old Neptune himself. He doesn’t stand a chance against us.' That was enough, apparently. A storm swept in, and suddenly… I was this."

You laughed. “He’s done far worse for far less offense.” Such a curse for such a trivial mistake -- the god must have been rather cranky that day. “You insult the god of the sea and decide the best way to make amends is to capture a member of his court? To tie her up and beat her? You sure have a strange method of going about things.”

The captain looked sheepish, almost repentant. 

“I have a request.” 

Captain Reyes glanced up in surprise. He probably wasn’t used to his prisoners being so bold.

“I’d like to see the moon,” you continued. 

“The moon?”

“I can still feel her call. The tides have risen. Could I just see her, please?”

You could see his mind working, trying to determine if this was a trick. That’s not to say that you wouldn’t take any chance you could get to escape, but you were patient. You would wait for the right opportunity.

The captain made his choice, kneeling beside you to release the chains on your ankles. Your arms remained bound, and he lifted you to your feet with remarkable strength. He helped you out of the cell and up to the main deck, gently lifting you through the hatch. The members of his crew watched you, but didn’t say anything. You kept your gaze straight ahead.

The water was inky black save for the silver crests of waves. You longed to dive in, to return to the safety of Neptune’s court and escape the troubles of mortals. But the captain held fast to your chains.

The clouds parted, and the brilliant light of the moon washed over the ship deck. You basked in the glow. It was safety and comfort after the hours you had spent locked away.

captain Reyes was surprisingly patient, letting you gaze into the sky until the clouds rolled through once more. The darkness ached, but you resigned yourself to another sentence in your cell.

“Would you-” The captain struggled to find his words. “I do not have to take you back down below deck.” He said.

“And I suppose you’ll be setting me free then?” you smiled dryly.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. But you could remain in my quarters for the time being. Until you call to Neptune, until my curse is lifted, I cannot let you leave this ship. But I can make your time here as comfortable as possible.”

You considered his offer. “How do you know I will not simply steal away after you have fallen asleep?” It was a good way to get you locked back in the cell, but you couldn’t keep yourself from testing him.

“I don’t sleep. The curse… I am unable to rest, to dream.” He looked anguished.

“And you wish to torture yourself further by inviting me to fill your waking hours?” 

He pulled sharply on your chains. “I can lock you up again if that is what you truly wish.” His voice was an inhuman growl.

You yanked back, defiant. The bruises would look horrid, but you weren’t about to cower before this beast. “You forget who has the true power here. Locking me away will only worsen your punishment. If you thought Neptune was angry before, then you should imagine how he punishes those who have harmed the members of his court.”

The wind whipped around you, waves rising taller and taller. A crewmate shouted from below deck as the entire ship rocked on the raging sea. The captain’s eyes widened in fear. Since your capture, you had hidden the true power of your magic.

“I won’t free you,” he snarled. “Not until my curse is lifted.”

“You will treat me with the respect I deserve as a spirit of the sea,” you demanded. The ocean roared. Your threats were not empty. The captain acquiesced.

“I will protect and care for you within my power. You must call to Neptune. Have him free me.”

The waves began to calm, wind dying down between one breath and the next. You never took your eyes off Captain Reyes. “Take me to your quarters.”

-

He locked the door behind him as soon as you were inside. You took a seat on the fanciest, most plush looking chair you could find, eyes scanning the walls and shelves. Captain Reyes’s quarters were luxurious, filled with treasures and trophies from his conquests.

He dropped a bottle into your lap. You inspected it carefully.

“Sweet wine,” he said, removing his coat and cutlass to hang. “I’m all out of ‘offerings’.”

You pried the cork from the bottle with your teeth and took a sip of the wine. It certainly was sweet, nicer than you expected a pirate to have. You helped yourself to a long pull.

Captain Reyes was slouched in a chair across the room, looking decidedly mortal as he rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh.

“Why do you refuse to do as I ask?”

You cradled your bottle, rattling the chains around your wrists as you raised your eyebrow. “I consider myself very generous when I’m not being snatched away by pirates. To be honest, I’m waiting for the first chance I get to destroy your ship and crew and escape.”

“I may just hunt you down again, you know. I could even find a way to kill you.” His words were empty, though. There was no heart behind them.

“Why do you want your curse lifted so badly?” you asked. “Does it not make you the most powerful man on the seas? Strong? Tireless? Unkillable?”

He disappeared from the chair, rematerializing right above you. Monstrous and formless, black smoke and long teeth and glowing eyes. “Is there not more than just power and glory? I am not the monster I was cursed to be. This form… I’m a beast! My own crew fears me. I’m alone. Unable to sleep or dream or feel. All of my victories mean nothing.”

You dropped the bottle in shock, wincing as it clattered and rolled across the fine rug. 

Captain Reyes was gone. Back across the room, shoulders hunched. He leaned against the wall, heaving with breaths he didn’t need.

You stood, chains rattling as you slowly made your way towards him. Reaching slowly, you placed a hand on his arm. He didn’t react to your touch. “What will you do? When you are mortal again?”

Slowly, he turned to look at you. Defeated. Captain Gabriel Reyes, the Reaper of the Blackwatch. He looked defeated.

“I’ll carry on. I’ll take my crew and my ships, and I’ll keep on as I always have.”

“Without your curse, you would be in danger.” You led him over to the bed. He sat beside you, staring at his hands. They were clawed, monstrous.

“I’m not afraid of danger.”

“What are you afraid of?” You clasped one of his hands between your own.

“I’m afraid of being alone. Of being unwanted. I’ll spend eternity as a monster, and one day I may lose myself and become nothing but beast.”

It wasn’t what you expected. The ruthless Reaper, afraid of being alone. Your heart broke for him. This wasn’t what he deserved.

“Can you unbind me?” you asked. “I promise no harm will come to your crew.”

The chains fell to the floor. You knelt before the captain. He refused to meet your eyes. Placing a hand on either side of his face, you lifted his head. His eyes were pleading.

Your lips brushed his. He recoiled at first, not expecting the touch. “Please,” you whispered, “can you trust me?”

He held still. And you kissed him once more. He responded this time yet was still hesitant to touch you. Deeper and deeper, you ran your fingers through his disheveled curls. He moaned into your mouth, and your lips curled against his.

He finally pulled away, pressing his forehead to yours as he panted and gasped for air.

You let out an undignified yelp as he scooped you into his arms and laid you on the bed. “I feel… What did you do?” He looked at his hands, dark scarred skin in the place of monstrous claws. 

“I lifted the curse.”

He stared at you in disbelief, grinning widely. “You could have done it all along? You did do it! I’m… How can I thank you?”

It warmed you to see him so overjoyed. You remembered the satisfaction of helping out heroes a millennium before. 

He was handsome, no longer a shadowy monster. Dark, scarred skin. Full lips. Curly black hair that fell across his forehead. He was still broad, huge even for a man, but now it was flesh and muscle under the thin fabric of his shirt.

The captain was kissing you again, so deeply and with so much passion. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“It’s wonderful.”

He pushed aside the fabric of your dress, kissing every inch of exposed skin. You trailed your hands over his arms and shoulders, feeling the strength and muscle from years of living aboard a ship. 

Clothes fell to the floor and soon the both of you were bare. You admired the captain’s newfound mortal body. Every scar, every mark, every dip and curve. He shuddered and gasped at each touch, not used to the sensation after so many years under the curse. You let him pin you down and ravish you. He couldn’t get enough.

You finally pushed him away, pulling him by the hair from between your thighs. “You’re mortal now,” you reminded him. “You need to rest.”

“Will you still be here when I wake?” he asked.

“I’ll stay here with you.” You opened your arms. He pulled you in close. You listened as his heartbeat slowed and his breathing evened. The ship rocked and creaked on the waves, moonlight streaming in through the glass windows.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Check out my other fics on my [Tumblr](http://www.clareguilty.tumblr.com)
> 
> Come say hi on twitter [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/Clare_guilty)


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